NEPTA to Stage an Evening of One-Acts

Area theatergoers can see a sampling of the best in community theater on Saturday, Sept. 6, as members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Theatrical Alliance (NEPTA) present “One-Night of One-Act Wonders,” a program of short plays at the Phoenix Performing Arts Centre, 409-411 Main St., Duryea. The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m.

NEPTA consists of nine community theater companies whose mission is to promote and support theater in northeast Pennsylvania. All nine companies will perform on Sept. 6. The theatrical event is a fundraiser for NEPTA’s scholarships, awarded annually to two area high school seniors planning to major in some facet of the performing arts.

Here’s a rundown of one-acts planned for the evening:

The Bracken Theater Company will perform the comedy Medea, by Christopher Durang and Wendy Wasserstein. Take classic Greek tragedy as told by the “Weekly World News” and you have this hilarious take on an ancient myth. The cast includes Alicia Nordstrom, Donna Vojtek, Ilvin Nieves, Kati Sudnick, Jennifer Momenzadeh, Bill Amos, Tim McDermott, Kimmie Wrazien, Kerry Kearns, Eric Van Duzer, and Will Moore, among others. Direction is by Karen Padden. Bracken performs in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

Pennsylvania Theater of the Performing Arts’ one-act is the comedy Triangle, written by the pseudonymous Jane Martin. It concerns Joyce, an English literature major, and her attempt to nip her partner’s emotional affair in the bud by inviting the “other woman” to their apartment. The action takes a bizarre turn when the other woman turns out to the goddess Aphrodite. The play is directed by Lynn Zanolini and stars Elise Popalis, Dathan Inman, and Jillian Ritz. The company is from Hazelton.

The Lakeside Players of the Lake Wallenpaupack area will present the classic comedy If Men Played Cards As Women Do by George S. Kaufman. Starring Tony Schwartz, Jerry Marino, Marty Courtney, and Frank DeSando, the play spotlights four men playing poker, but instead of discussing sports and other manly topics, they talk about clothes, home furnishings, and the latest gossip – just as women do. In the author’s words, “… (the sketch) is played in forthright and manly fashion.”

Dreamchaser, a short thriller by David Schmidt, will be presented by the Endless Mountains Theater Company of Susquehanna County. An actress who has fallen on hard times plans to commit suicide in a haunted theater house. Only the intervention of a theater ghost prevents her from going through with it, but the ghost cannot stop her from committing murder. The players are Dianna Wayman, David Schmidt, and Bob DeLuca.

The Diva Theater Company is offering the comedy sketch Hank and Karen Sue, by Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney, from the play Parallel Lives. Directed by Paige Balitski, the play stars Tiffany Saar and Eric Lutz. It takes place in a Texas bar where Hank and Karen Sue meet every night to discuss their comedic yet very lonely lives and have the same conversation — until the next night. Diva performs in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

Easy to Love by Rob Howell is being produced by the Worthington Players of Shawnee-on-Delaware, Monroe County. How quick is too quick to love? This comedy is a lighthearted look at how fast someone can fall head over heels. The play is directed by Midge McClosky and stars Amy Cramer, Dan Eash, and Maria Sole.

The Pennsylvania Rep Company’s one act is To Tongue or Not to Tongue, a comedy by Rob and Jill Howell. A community theater company is rehearsing Macbeth when the director instructs the lead actor and actress on how to do their kissing scene. The play is directed by Jill Howell. Penn Rep performs in Monroe County.

Rock Bottom Theater Company of Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties will present The Worker, a dark comedy by Walter Wykes, directed by Tim Hutchins. When a manager discovers that all other employees have had early termination, he is forced to take over the entire company – or be terminated himself. The play stars Dean Hutchins, Suzanne St. Pierre, and Robbie Mitchell.

The Phoenix Performing Arts Centre will present a monologue written and directed by Angelina Glodzik, staring Bob Balitski. They will also present two dance numbers: “Buenos Aires” from Evita, performed by 10 dancers and choreographed by Lee LaChette, and “Mr. Bojangles from Fosse, performed by Alyssa Blamire and Lee LaChette.

The fundraising event will also include a basket raffle with 10 basket being offered. All tickets to the Sept. 6 performance are $12. Some plays contain adult language and themes, so the show is not appropriate for young children.

For advance reservations, call the Phoenix at 570-457-3589. Tickets will also be available at the door, but seating is limited, so advance reservations are suggested. For more information on the Phoenix, log onto www.phoenixpac.vpweb.com/default.html.